Accessibility

MV opens inquiry to improve D.C. MetroAccess hiring, training

MV Transportation, the D.C. Metro contractor responsible for operating the MetroAccess paratransit service, initiated an independent inquiry of its hiring and training policies, to ensure the company and its subcontractors are maximizing passenger safety.

Former Federal Transit Administration Chief Counsel Patrick W. Reilly has been appointed to lead the inquiry, which will help MV determine how it can go beyond its legal responsibilities in an effective way to provide additional protections to passengers.

"The inquiry will look for ways that maximize passenger safety that go beyond any applicable standards," Reilly said.

Additionally, Reilly also will meet with representatives of passengers as part of the inquiry process.

Currently, MV does nationwide background checks upon hiring any drivers and the company does annual re-certifications on each existing employee. MV's taxi subcontractors use FBI background checks. Drivers are also required to complete the company's 110-hour training program, which includes 64 hours of riding with experienced trainers to learn how to appropriately interact with passengers. Additionally, drivers are trained in sexual harassment prevention.

MV said that the inquiry should be completed in 90 days, with all findings and recommendations will be shared with Metro.

Transportation America’s 5-year, $208 million contract states the county will withhold the disputed amounts from the company while the dispute is resolved. But, transit officials say they are conceding to TA attorneys who claim the contract language is ambiguous and letting the company hold the cash.

According to police, the Hampton Roads Transit bus driver saw the person traveling on the street in the direction of the bus and swerved at the last second to avoid a direct collision with the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair struck the right side of the bus.

The Winnipeg Taxi Board initially denied Sunshine Transit Services an accessible limousine license in 2012. With the signing of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, help from the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities and the Public Interest Law Center, Manitoba's one and only accessible limo license was granted to Sunshine Transit Services in August 2014.

The goal of the updated process is to ensure that only persons who meet the regulatory criteria are regarded as eligible for paratransit service, making this vital service more efficient. Eligibility is based on limitations to an individual’s abilities, not just the presence of a disability.